'Highly condemnable', says India as Pakistan takes Kartarpur out of PSGPC's hands

New Delhi, Nov 05: India on Thursday slammed Pakistan's move to take over the full control of Gurudwara Darbar Sahib, the sacred place of the Sikhs located at Kartarpur.

"We have seen reports about Pakistan transferring the management and maintenance of the Holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib away from the Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee (PSGPC), a body run by the minority Sikh Community, to the administrative control of the Evacuee Trust Property Board, a non-Sikh body," said a statement from the external affairs ministry.

"This unilateral decision by Pakistan is highly condemnable and runs against the spirit of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor as also the religious sentiments of the Sikh community at large. We have received representations from the Sikh community expressing grave concern at this decision by Pakistan targeting the rights of the minority Sikh community in Pakistan," it said.

"Such actions only expose the reality of the Pakistani government and its leadership's tall claims of preserving and protecting the rights and welfare of the religious minority communities," ie further said.

India called upon pakistan to reverse its arbitrary decision to deprive the Sikh minority community it's right to manage affairs of the Holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib.

In a shocking development, Pakistan has snatched away the management of any Gurdwara from the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC).

According to reports, the Pakistan Ministry of Religious Affairs has taken over the control from PSGPC and handed it over to Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).

Kartarpur marks the most significant phase in the life of Guru Nanak Devji - the founder of Sikhism and first of the ten gurus of the sect.

Located at the west bank of river Ravi, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji spent the last 18 years of his life in Kartarpur village, now part of Pakistan.